This week's top 5 cultural insights and e-commerce trends: 08 March 2019

Business · 4 min read

AOB: 08 March 2019

08 March 2019

What are the big stories in commerce? And what do they mean for your business? AOB helps you stay ahead of the curve – here are this week’s top five cultural insights and e-commerce trends from around the world.

Celebrating International Women’s Day with brands founded by inspiring women across the globe

Kulani Kinis, The Modist, Swimma – these brands all have at least two things in common. Firstly, they use DHL to ship their products across up to 220 countries and territories worldwide. Secondly, they are all founded and run by women. Dani Atkins founded Australian swimwear brand Kulani Kinis after ordering a bikini top online for the eyewatering price of A$100 and thinking she could make them cheaper and better. Atkins’s swimsuits now sell on ASOS and ModCloth, and her aim for the next five years is to make A$10m in revenue.

Ghizlan Guenez’s mission statement for The Modist has always been to offer women around the world a range of different brands, all carefully selected to be elegant, well made and modest. The company now ships garments over 150 luxury brands to customers in 120 countries globally, from its headquarters in Dubai and London satellite office. Nomvuyo Treffers established Swimma when she realized a gap in the swimming cap market for people with big hair. Originally targeting South Africa and her neighboring countries, word spread quickly and Swimma caps now have a huge international presence.

These are just a few women who are using e-commerce to shatter the glass ceiling, read our article to find out more.

Glossier launches new customer-led makeup brand

Makeup startup Glossier, founded by Emily Weiss, is launching a new bold and colorful makeup brand called Glossier Play. Weiss says that while the core brand is about “everyday essentials” the new brand will offer a more “dialed-up” selection of products “that are a little more fun.” What’s interesting is how Weiss and her team develop their new products, engaging directly with their customers through social media and customer service representatives to find out what they really want. For instance, Glossier Play was born because the company noticed that users were tagging themselves in photos wearing the neutral Glossier makeup with colorful elements by other brands.

Not sure what your next move should be? Let your customers be your guide. For more tips on engaging with your customers across different social media platforms, read our tips on social selling.

E-commerce is on the up in Spain

While the uptake of e-commerce may have been slow in Spain compared to other European countries, a study has shown that more and more Spaniards are making regular online purchases. The research carried out by Showroom Prive and Confianza, reveals that 38% of Spaniards shop online several times a month and that 75% are now making more online purchases than last year. The clothing and sporting goods sector is the most popular category for online shopping in Spain, accounting for 31% of e-purchases, with orders mainly in the €100-€499 price range.

So, if you’ve previously not had much success in the Spanish climate, or are yet to expand your e-commerce business there, why not give Spain a go. Read our article to discover more economies to watch in 2019.

List your business as women-owned on Yelp

Together with designer Rebecca Minkoff and the Female Founders Collective, Yelp are launching a new feature where businesses will be able to list themselves as ‘women-owned’ on the site. This comes at the start of Women’s History Month and ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, helping customers connect with female-led brands. While this might just seem like a ‘nice to have’ feature, it’s proven to be a successful marketing technique that resonates well on social media, and with customers and clients alike. Miriam Warren, Yelp’s Vice President of Engagement, Diversity and Belonging says that their ultimate aim here is to “[drive] more dollars directly to the bottom line for these female-owned businesses.”

Is your brand female-led and not flaunting it? Make sure to list your business as women-owned today and seek out some solidarity with your e-commerce sisters!

US consumers want more chatbots

According to a new survey by location marketing platform Uberall, consumers in the US think chatbots are a positive way to connect with a brand. While 36% think their accuracy needs to improve, 38% want to see more brands using chatbots for deals, coupons and promotions. If you’re thinking of enlisting a chatbot to sweet talk your customers pre-checkout, it’s worth bearing in mind that 27% would like a human customer representative to take over from the bot when needed and that 19% want chatbots to produce more natural, ‘human-sounding’ conversation. And though consumers who use chatbots report positive experiences, the trouble comes with persuading them to use the functionality in the first place.

With 10% of those surveyed saying that simply that not enough sites have them, if your business hasn’t invested in a chatbot yet, now’s the time to test it out and watch those conversions come in. A step up from the chatbot, read here how live chat can give your brand a sales boost.